Join Yasmine on Her Educational Path

Hello, my name is Yasmine Ahmed, and I truly appreciate you taking a moment to read my story. I am currently a junior in high school!

I am fundraising to attend the QuestBridge National College Exploration Conference at Macalester College in St. Paul, Minnesota and would be grateful to receive a contribution from you so that I can take advantage of this unique opportunity.

Here is an introduction about me:

I’m a first-generation American student. I'm from Columbus, Ohio but I was originally born in Ali Sabieh, Djibouti (a little city on the coast of East Africa)! I came to the United States when I was five years old with my parents who never attended school and spoke no English. My parents' hard work to provide for six siblings in a country where they had to start fresh has been an inspiration for me. I have been motivated by learning about the importance of education and how it could change the trajectory of mine and my family’s life.

Ever since I was young, I have strived to do my best in school to one day achieve amazing goals in my future. With hard work and dedication, I have maintained a 4.24 GPA within my high school, taking the most rigorous classes afforded to me. I am a dual enrollment student at Columbus State Community College in the Honors program. After wrapping up my full year at CSCC, I have a 4.0 GPA, and I’m on the Dean's List. I’m so sad to leave CSCC, but I’ll be doing a full-time college credit program (Seniors to Sophomores) at The Ohio State University main campus next year. I’m beyond excited for that!

Outside of school, my passion for community service has driven my involvement with the Columbus Youth Council (CYC), a program that connects students with city officials to discuss topics like government structure, housing development, and public health. Community service is a significant part of my life. As a member of the Columbus City Youth Council, I engage with local government leaders and learn about political issues affecting my community. This program has broadened my understanding of justice, freedom, and equality, and it has motivated me to become a more active participant in my community's growth. This work has reinforced my commitment to service and compassion. I dedicate eight hours each month to volunteering, planning projects, and attending meetings.

Volunteering has also been a huge part of my life. I love volunteering at school events, workshops, shows, and forums. Recently, I volunteered at the Columbus Education Justice Coalition’s school board candidate forum where I got to help uplift the voices of community members to help them make the decision of who should be on our school board. I've been a volunteer at Riverside Hospital for almost 2 years now, and I shadow doctors there and at Nationwide Children’s Hospital! I also volunteer at my local food pantry and will be volunteering as a tutor and mentor at Ethiopian Tewahedo Social Services!

I’m very involved within my school and naming everything I’ve done within the last three years would probably fill up the page. I’m most proud of my work in my school’s Reading for Justice Book Club. In book club, we explore social justice, advocacy, inequity, and human rights through literature. I deeply connect with the club's focus on sharing the stories of marginalized communities and discussing systemic inequality. This aligns with my personal values as both a writer and an activist, and I am proud to contribute to our community by promoting justice and raising awareness of important social issues.

Recently, I am the founder and president of a student leader ambassador group called "The Fort Hayes I Know I Can Student Ambassadors.” I Know I Can is a nonprofit organization in central Ohio and the only college access program in Columbus. My school is one of the high schools with a I Know I Can advisor, but I noticed that the resources being provided were not being used by students due to a lack of communication since my school is a big campus. I knew I had to bridge the gap. So as ambassadors for I Know I Can, we strive to empower our peers by providing resources, guidance, and support to help them pursue their postsecondary education or career goals.

I am also a published journalist on the Columbus Dispatch even winning the top award "Best of Show". The Columbus Journalists in Training Program, is organized by the CCS district in collaboration with The Columbus Dispatch, the Society of Professional Journalists Central Ohio Pro Chapter and the Columbus Association of Black Journalists.

Along with attending school and engaging myself within my community, I’ve had a part-time job as a movie theater worker for two years now. Having a job is essential to me as I have to help support my family. Despite this, I find satisfaction in my work because it’s taught me valuable lessons in responsibility and time management.

As I prepare to apply to college this year, I’ve been hard at work to set myself up for success in this process. I applied to the competitive QuestBridge College Prep Scholars Program which equips students like myself, who are high-achieving high school juniors from low-income backgrounds, with the knowledge, confidence, and resources to apply to top colleges. I am honored that I was recently named a College Prep Scholar, which means QuestBridge believes I could be a competitive candidate for admission to one of their college partners ! As part of the program, I’ve been invited to attend a QuestBridge National College Exploration Conference at Macalester College in St.Paul, Minnesota. While the conference itself is free, my attendance would require travel to and from the conference, and that travel is set to cost me $1,200. I am fundraising for these costs and would be grateful to receive a contribution from you so that I can take advantage of this unique opportunity.

At the National College Exploration Conference, I would have the opportunity to: